The First Mission
by Pixel and Stephanie Forever
Summary: The first mission of the Dauntless was classified and put under the most heaviest of security. What happened to make a simple shakedown become a top secret? What dark and twisted secret was so dangerous as to keep the details in a vault for decades? Follow the Dauntless on her first mission and find out. Rated M from the start for language, nudity and sex. Contains traces of peanut
1. We Put To Sea!

**We Put To Sea!**

"When will the ship be ready to leave?" asked the woman.

"We estimate another four days" replied the man in uniform.

"Admiral Jackson, why the delay and estimate?"

"We have been experiencing some problems with the _Dauntless_'s Fire Control systems, Susan" said Jackson. He was being interviewed by a reporter about the delay in launching the first of the _Dauntless_ class of Battlestar.

"Can we know what these problems are?" asked the reporter.

"Some details are being kept secret for now, as I am sure that you can understand. What I _can_ say is that the ship is in good order. The problem lies in the software which takes a day to unpick, solving the problem which takes two days and then reinitialise the whole package. She will be commissioning on time, but not at Picon Fleet Headquarters. It was thought more fitting she be commissioned into the service whilst in her home port"

"Thank you, Admiral. We'll be right back after these messages"

#

"Sir?" a crewman was standing at the door to George Henderson's office. He was the first Commanding Officer of the _Dauntless_, and he was chest high in paperwork that needed to be completed before the ship joined the service.

"If that is another report I have to see, you paint the hull without a suit" he shook his head.

"Sort of a report, Sir" the crewman said. "Chief Engineer is refusing to do any work until you go down and see him – his words, Sir"

"What is the problem?"

"It's the CO2 scrubbers, Sir" the crewman said. "I was unpacking them to be installed when I noticed they were the round ones"

"And?"

"We take square scrubbers"

"Oh boy…" Henderson shook his head again. "Please tell me this isn't a government operation. Just tell the Chief to put in for the right ones"

"We tried that, but the dock says we were to get scrubbers, and we got scrubbers. They think it isn't their fault we got the wrong ones" he handed over the sheet listing all of the other items.

"No turbo regulators, spare coil units not aboard, spare fuel pumps non existent…" Henderson muttered to himself before looking up. "You may leave, Crewman. Tell the Chief Engineer that I will take care of this myself"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir" and saluted before hurrying away. Henderson dialled the Chief Engineer's office and waited for it to be answered.

"_Chief Engineer_"

"Bill? This is George. I hear you are having a spot of trouble"

"_I should say so. I assume you've had my message about the mix up_?"

"Have it in my hand now" Henderson replied.

"_We've been waiting for some time for these parts, George, but the _Galactica_'s refit was of greater importance than our fitting out. Luckily we have been on the station's power supplies for power, air, water and heating_"

"How long have you been waiting for the replacements?"

"A _while now. We've applied for replacements through the usual channels, Sir_"

"And?"

"_Well, the usual channels appear to be clogged_"

"_Are_ they? Well, We'll ruddy well _unclog_ 'em!"

#

Henderson picked up his phone and dialled the Communications station in CIC.

"Dauntless_ Cable and Wireless. Ensign McCall speaking, how may I help you?_"

"Ensign, get me the Quartermaster on the station. Tell him it is urgent that I speak to him"

"_Aye, Sir_" and he waited only a few minutes.

"_Quartermaster_"

"This is Commander Henderson on the _Dauntless_. I understand you are refusing to supply us with the right parts we have requested"

"_I am afraid that you have not followed proper procedure_" asked the Quartermaster.

"I want the tools and equipment for _Dauntless_, and I want them now"

"_I can't produce them on demand_"

"Very well. What is the hold up?"

"_The paperwork_"

"To blazes with your paperwork! I want that stuff, and I want it pretty damned fast!"

"_The books says I have to wait three months until hastening a new issue_"

"Frack you" and Henderson slammed the phone down before dialling the CIC again. "Ensign, do you have full communications online yet?"

"_Yes, Sir_" McCall said.

"Very well. First of all, I want you to write this in your log that this is a direct order"

"_Aye, Commander_"

"Send the following message to Admiral Jackson - Message reads: Battlestar _Dauntless_ operational with regards officers and crew. Battlestar _Dauntless_ non operational – REPEAT NON OPERATIONAL – with regards to parts. Ship will remain non operational until issue has been resolved. Henderson, _Dauntless_"

"_Aye, Sir_"

"When done, repeat message to Admiral Kronus as well. Use standard repeat terms on dispatch of copy. That is all"

"_Yes, Sir. McCall out_"

"That should take care of them" Henderson turned back to his paperwork and wondered how long it would be until he was called to account.

#

"Commander Henderson, reporting as ordered"

"Henderson…" Jackson looked at the man as he returned the salute. "What is the meaning of this extraordinary signal?"

"It means exactly what it says, Sir" Henderson said. "_Dauntless_ will remain non operational until we get the parts we need"

"You know, you just can't do this"

"Well I've gone and done it, Sir. I'll take any kicks that come this way"

"You can't do this" said Jackson again, looking at the signal and Henderson alternately.

"Too late to do anything about it now, Sir"

"They'll be an awful row at Headquarters" said Jackson.

"They'll be an awful row at Colonial Fleet Headquarters as well, Sir – I sent _them_ a copy too!"

"Your Battlestar will get either new parts or a new CO. I wouldn't like to bet on which" Jackson said. "Dismiss"

#

The next call came that evening whilst Henderson was meeting with his senior officers in the unused pilots briefing room. He was discussing the last minute changes to the commissioning ceremony. Instead of having a display by the Battlestar's entire air group, as was custom, there would be a display by the Red Arrows – Viper II's stripped of armour for extra turning speed. The closing piece was a full burn through both flight pods at the same time – coming out to proximity charges set off from the Battlestar – making it look as if the Vipers had come from the flames.

"Henderson"

"_Commander Edwards. What's the meaning of this signal?_"

"This Battlestar is out of action until I get some tools and parts"

"_You can operate with what you've got_"

"I've told you what I want. Until I get it, this Battlestar remains non operational"

"_You don't seem to care, but this will bring you a whole load of trouble. The Admiral's furious_"

"Oh clot!" and Henderson slammed the phone down.

"Well, that's telling 'em, Skipper" said his Executive Officer – Commander Rosie Golden.

#

"Commander Henderson?" a Major on the staff of the Admiral stood in the doorway of the office. "The Admiral will see you, Sir" and Henderson walked in, went to the desk and came to attention – saluting as he did so.

"Henderson…" Admiral Kronus returned the salute. "What is all this about equipment and your signal?"

"My crew have done everything to get our spares and tools. If the Cylons attacked, I wouldn't be able to fight a simple fire in the head"

"I see" Kronus said slowly. "And those remarks on the telephone to Commander Edwards. Did you think that would help?"

"It was an argument between officers of equal rank. He tried to shake me by saying you'd be furious" said Henderson. Kronus looked at Henderson closely before turning the Major.

"He said I was furious? I won't have officers taking my name in vain or predicting my emotions - I'll see Edwards later"

"Very good, Sir"

"You must not short-circuit the usual channels, Henderson"

"No, Sir" Henderson said in a contrite voice.

"What _do_ you want?" asked Kronus – proving he was still a spit, polish and deck officer despite being a desk Commander for some time now.

#

"Chief Richards?" the voice made Richards turn from where he had been speaking to one of the Deck Chiefs.

"Yes?"

"Courtesy of the Quartermaster, Sir. Seems your paperwork was … 'lost'. If you'll sign for all of this" the Chief Petty Officer handed over the delivery form.

"I want to check everything" said Richards. He made them unpack every item so he could personally check it against what was supposed to be on the list.

"I could build a new Battlestar from this lot" said a crewman, watching as _more_ parts and tools turned up through the docking ports.

#

"Communications"

"_This is the Commander. Send the following message to the Yard and Fleet Command at Headquarters Picon. Battlestar_ Dauntless_ now fully operational_"

#

"Engineering, CIC. Power up manoeuvring jets"

"_Aye, Aye, Sir_"

"All hands, this is the Commander. Standby to cast off" the Commanding Officer of the _Dauntless_ looked around at his newest command's CIC. Everything was so new you could smell the paint – even if it had taken a few years to build. "Officer of the Watch, cast off"

"Aye, Sir. Disengaging capture latches fore and aft" the lights on a display turned green. "Mooring lines cleared. Helm, back us out, nice and easy"

"Nice and easy – Aye" and the Battlestar eased out of her docking space slowly, turned to port and inched away.

"Dock control reports a good separation" the Communications Officer said.

"Sir, we are clear and free to navigate"

"Very well" Henderson nodded at his subordinate. "Navigation, plot us a course for Ash Ketchum Air Station"

"Plotting now, sir" and the woman started work on her computerised charts.

"All hands, this is the Commander. Start the first watch"

"I have the course you requested, Sir" the Navigator said. "Course is 214 carom 853"

"Helm, turn to that heading. Set speed for one half power for the first two hours, then increase to three quarters. The XO has the deck" and Henderson left the CIC for his quarters.

#

"_Attention all hands, this is the CIC. Condition 2 is now set for Fire and Rescue Crews. Condition 2 for the Fire and Rescue Crews_" the Duty officer said a day and a half later. "_Standby to receive incoming aircraft – Squadrons embarking!_"

#

"_Viper 89, you are cleared to land port flight pod. Be advised that Auto Landing is offline at Commander Officer's insistence_" the LSO said.

"_Roger that, _Dauntless" the little blip came closer to _Dauntless_. Sharpe and the duty staff were watching in the CIC as the Squadrons embarked on _Dauntless_. "_Viper 89 approaching port pod. Hands on approach_" the pilot said.

"Maintain course and speed, Helm" Henderson said.

"Aye, Sir"

"Dauntless, _reaching outer marker_"

"_Roger that, Viper 89_"

"Hard to starboard!" Henderson said suddenly. "All back starboard engines – full ahead port" and the _Dauntless_ suddenly swerved to one side as the Viper pulled away and went around for another go. It was traditional for Battlestars to pull a joke on the first pilot when he or she landed to remind them that, despite how good a pilot they might be, they would never be as good as the ship they landed on. Their lives, in an emergency, would depend on the skills and abilities of the _Dauntless_'s crew.

#

The entire Air Wing landed on without a hitch and the various squadrons found their assigned places in the ready rooms and quarters given to them. They would always have the honour of being the first people to occupy them.

"Major Ken Odell, reporting as ordered, Commander" the CAG saluted Henderson.

"At ease, Major" Henderson returned the salute. "Before we start, I just want to say I'll throw you in the brig if you do anything like your landing again!" and Odell was about to reply before he realised it was another of the traditional jokes on a CAG. He had already found a cardboard coffin in his office marked 'Just In Case'. "I understand that this is your first time as a CAG"

"Yes, Sir" Odell sat down in one of the chairs in Henderson's office.

"Reading your service jacket, it appears you were passed over for promotion twice already. Care to explain?"

"I was Squadron Commander on the _Galactica_, Sir, and I had an accident with one of my pilots during a training mission" Odell said. "We were on the training range near Triton for a comex. I approached one of the pilots with full throttle – simulating a Cylon Raider. Before I knew anything, he was on my tail and firing missiles at me. Should have been training shots, Commander, but they turned out to be live birds. I followed procedures and launched a counter measure, but a pair of missiles missed them, swung round and…" Odell fell silent.

"I presume they returned to sender?" Henderson asked, and Odell simply nodded.

"_Galactica_ was monitoring everything and saw that I did as the rule book laid out. It was determined in the investigation that one of the deck gang must have loaded the wrong missiles in the internal bay. Given the fact I didn't launch the missiles, did nothing but follow the text book evasion moves and was the one that had been locked on, I was cleared of any wrong doing"

"Relieved of your command?" Henderson pressed.

"Oh, that would have been too easy" Odell said. "I was 'transferred' to an Air Station for cadets and pilots converting to newer Vipers and Raptors. I hold, by the way, qualifications for both, Sir. It wasn't until we had an inspection and tour by a couple of politicians that I found out that the person who had pushed for my 'transfer' was the father of the dead pilot. He was on the senate committee for Defence, and threatened to veto any plans unless I was taken off the ship. Fleet had no choice but to do so"

"And so, and I read your jacket, you took a Viper out of the training wing and blew his car up"

"That was not my fault, Commander" Odell said.

"You said yourself that you did it"

"Oh, I admit that I did it, Commander" the CAG replied, "But his car was on the bombing range at the time – pure accident, Commander"

"You'll do…" Henderson shook Odell's hand warmly and handed the man a drink.

#

"All hands, this is the Commander. Stand down from Damage Control stations. The exercise is over with" Henderson ended the drill he had been running involving a decompression of the forward compartments with fire near the magazines for the nose cannons. The results looked good, but there would have to be additional training before Henderson would be happy enough. It was three weeks after the ship had commissioned, and they had been sent on a short cruise around the local system to get some of the kinks out of themselves.

"Incoming message from Colonial Fleet Headquarters" said the duty communications officer.

"Put it through here" Henderson picked up the handset.

"The message is for the Commander only" the young woman replied.

"I'll take it in my quarters" Henderson said. "XO has the deck"

"Aye" Golden said. "I have the deck"

#

"_Commander Henderson. What is your situation?_" asked Admiral Kronus.

"Aside from a slight toothache, I'd say pretty good, Admiral"

"_How do you rate your ship, Commander?_"

"Alright, Sir. Still one or two things we need to work on, but we haven't been in service that long. With respect, Sir, you didn't call for a friendly chat"

"_Correct. One of our scouts was following a ship we believe belongs to the SRA_"

"Tom Zarek's group?"

"_The scout was disabled in an ambush before it could get away, but it did report the ships headed off in the rough direction of the Piladies system_"

"That is awfully near the Cylon Armistice Line, Sir. Do we know if Zarek made a crossing?" Henderson asked.

"_As far as we know, he didn't. DRADIS picked up increased activity on the other side of the boarder, but we have not been able to speak to the Cylons_"

"Typical"

"_The problem is that we have a number of bases, abandoned since the war ended, that the SRA could use as a base. The largest one has a number of orbital drydocks he could use to repair and rearm his ships_" Kronus said. "_Your orders are to investigate the area from the location of the disabled scout_"

"Aye, Aye, Sir. What do I do if I find them, Admiral?"

"_Eliminate them_"

"But take Zarek into custody?"

"_I said eliminate them, Commander_" Kronus said darkly. "_Go to Glen Larson base to stock up on as much fuel and ammo as you require, Commander. Contact me when the job is done_"

"One thing, Sir. What happened to the scout ship? What kind of opposition did it face?"

"_You will get all the details in an encrypted packet sent to you later, Commander. Don't call me again until the job is done and Zarek is dead_" and Kronus left the screen.

"Wonder what is up with him…" Henderson mused as he reached for the intercom and passed on their new orders.

"_Anything else, Commander?_" asked Golden after she had confirmed the orders.

"Have the Records Officer go over all of the information we have to do with Tom Zarek and cross it with all information we have involving Admiral Kronus. And Rosie…?"

"_Sir?_"

"Give the order to her yourself. I don't want this going on record"

"_Aye, Sir. CIC, out_"


	2. Something Wicked, This Way Comes…

**Something Wicked, This Way Comes… **

"They can not be serious" said Golden. Henderson had just informed them of their first official mission, and he could see the remarks on the faces of the others gathered around the table in the mission room.

"They can, and they appear to be, Rosie" Henderson said. "Our orders are to start are investigation at the site of the ambush. From their, we will follow a course that takes us fairly close to the Armistice Line"

"I presume with full ID codes transmitted over the border?" said Odell.

"If we see a Cylon contact on DRADIS, we shall send them a message in the clear informing them of our mission" Henderson informed him. "As far as we know, the _Lewis_ was ambushed at this location" he tapped a spot on the chart. "From what the _Lewis_ reported, they got a rough bearing before their systems shut down completely. The SRA ships headed towards the abandoned bases and yards in the Piladies system. The orbital yards are moveable, so Zarek could have moved them to other places to keep ships away from any attack by us. Of course, he may have headed that way to confuse the _Lewis_" he finished.

"Raptor assault?" asked the senior Raptor Squadron commander.

"No" Henderson said. "I want birds here, here and here" he pointed at three locations on another chart. "They'll spend twenty four hours there to keep an eye on things in case they are based there"

"What kind of defences can we expect?" asked the weapons officer, Captain Honeycroft.

"We think a mixture of guns and missiles" Henderson said. "Those are not the main concern though"

"Headquarters believes that the SRA also has a number of Gunstars and Warstars – fully operational" Golden continued.

"Full weapon systems?" Honeycroft asked.

"When ships were withdrawn from service, they had a lot of their weapons removed and the spaces plated over" Golden said. "Most were sold for use as large freighters or salvage ships – that sort of thing. Some, however, went missing on their trips to the breakers yard. With the ability to gain military hardware, a lot of orders were placed by companies to better protect against pirate attacks. As you know, surplus deports had a large number of thefts, so it is not impossible for the SRA to have gained enough weapons to replace those removed from the ships"

"I suppose they have fighter strength?" Odell asked.

"We believe that they have a mixture of older Raptors and Viper IIs" Henderson said. "They also have the old planetary assault shuttles that can be converted to gunships"

"Any idea if they are to the same spec as Viper IIs?"

"We don't know, but it is safe to assume that they will have made some modifications to all of their fighter strength" Henderson said. "One thing is certain though – we know a lot of their pilots are ex-military. A lot of good people are going to be our enemies soon. That goes for their ship crews as well"

"I don't like the sound of that, Commander"

"Neither do I, Major" said Henderson. "However, we will take steps to disable the ships before we are forced to destroy them. I have some scans of the systems for you to train your crews on in the simulators, Ken. I want a full combat readiness report for all departments by 19:30 this evening"

"But that is only an hour away" Honeycroft exclaimed.

"Then snap to it" said Golden, "Dismissed" and the others went away. Golden got up, closed and sealed the hatch before withdrawing a folder from inside her uniform jacket. "Records Officer managed to get the information you wanted" she threw it onto the plotting table.

"Oh?" Henderson opened it and looked at what was to offer. "Well, well, well…" he said after a few moments. "Seems as if Zarek and his group killed Kronus's family while he was on the _Exeter_. The SRA planted a bomb on a liner called _Star Empire_"

"I know that ship, Sir" Golden said. "My father was involved with building her a while ago"

"Seems they planted the bomb in the secured cargo bay. Oddly, that wasn't what caused the deaths"

"What?"

"Seems the SRA had overrode the escape protocols and had ensured that the escape pods leaked fuel"

"So that the explosive bolts would ignite it – turning them all to a crisp"

"Most of the passengers and crew were killed except for the crew on the bridge. The explosion cut out main and back up power supplies – bringing down the bulkhead doors. The bridge crew managed another two weeks before rescue ships found them alive. One of them was the _Exeter_"

"And Kronus has been seeking revenge all this time?" Golden shook her head. "So what do we do, Sir?"

"We carry out our orders, Colonel" Henderson replied. "Maybe all this about Zarek brought it back to him, and he wants them all dead. He didn't actually order that, but I can understand what he didn't say to me. He said to eliminate the problem – but we'll do so without resorting to mass killings and murder" he finished.

"You suspect something?" Golden asked.

"Maybe… Back when the _Dauntless_ was built, there was talk of using her to destroy all the pirate ships and bases – no matter the cost of lives. I wondered where the talk came from, but nobody knew or said. I thought it was politicians for the most part – some fleet as well, but nobody said as much. I wouldn't be so surprised if there was some kind of twist to this story. Rosie, I want you to tell Communications they are to monitor incoming communications only – but no outgoing unless ordered by myself or you"

"You think someone might be working for Kronus?" Golden asked.

"You ever heard of Division 31?" Henderson asked.

"Nothing more than rumours, Sir" she replied.

"Towards the end of the war, Kronus went missing from the public eye for a number of months. At the same time, Battlestars started showing up in places they ought not to be. The funny thing was that they had no ID or transponder codes and no communications. A couple of Battlestars were ordered to go to a set location and transfer cargo to other ships. When people came on board, all off duty people were confined to quarters until they had left. All the containers were marked 'Division 31'. Not many pictures exist, but those that do show ships with completely black hulls and no markings at all. Ships the size of _Galactica_, _Columbia_ and _Uned_ appearing like ghosts. Those that have traced Division 31 have often ended up being warned off by CI, transferred to career ending jobs or turn up dead"

"And what does have to do with Kronus?" Golden asked.

"He is rumoured to be the head of this group – willing and able to sacrifice thousands of lives in order to get the mission done. I would not be surprised if their agents are aboard this ship. I want to keep the outgoing communications silent until I know for certain"

"What about the Communications Officers?"

"I'm certain I know them" Henderson replied. "All four of them came from my last command. I am more worried in case there are spies for Kronus aboard _Dauntless_. Have the Marines post a guard on the magazine, fuel and reactor spaces"

"People are going to ask questions" Golden said.

"Let them" Henderson said. "Something feels wrong, Rosie, about this whole damned thing…"

"I'll post the guards myself, Sir" Golden saluted and left the wardroom.

# # # # #

"Sir, we have arrived at the reported location of the _Lewis_" said the watch officer.

"Very well. Mr Briggs, commence search operations" Golden said.

"Aye, Aye. Helm, come right to 180 carom 095"

"Adjusting course"

"All DRADIS and scanner scopes forward"

"All forward, Aye"

"Maintain scanner watch until you are either relived or you find something. Mr Briggs, you have the deck" Golden said.

"I have the deck" and Golden left CIC to her office. She was deciding what discipline matters she could do herself before sending the rest of them to Commander's Mast the following day.

# # # # #

Henderson was stepping out of the shower when all hell broke loose.

"ACTION STATIONS! ACTIONS STATIONS! SET CONDITION ONE THROUGHOUT THE SHIP! ALL HANDS, MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS" the voice blared over the PA system. "GUN CREWS, CLOSE UP FOR ACTION"

"CIC, Commanding Officer. What is going on?" Henderson asked.

"_Lietuenant Smith, Sir_" the voice on the other end of the phone said. "_We detected a ship on the edge of DRADIS range – CBDR. We attempted to contact her, but she didn't respond. I was going to order a Raptor to investigate in case their wireless was damaged or down when scanners detected them powering up weapons. Standing orders state I hav_…"

"I know what they are, Mister" Henderson said. "Have you got any ID on that ship?" he asked.

"_Not at this distance, Commander. What ever she is must know we are Colonial Fleet, Sir. I had us pulse our ID towards them, and that is when they started arming weapons_"

"You did the right thing, Lieutenant. Have the alert Vipers launched and assume standard point formation. Divert the Cap to close and investigate. I'll be there in a moment"

#

"Commander on deck"

"As you were" Henderson snapped. "Sit Rep!"

"Large contact on CBDR, Sir" Golden said. "The ship is at Condition One – all stations and decks report cleared for action" she added.

"Distance to contact?"

"25,000 clicks off the port bow" the watch officer reported. "It is closing because of the CBDR. Estimate two minutes until firm DRADIS contact"

"Increase speed to flank" Henderson said. "Standby missiles tubes 1 through 4. Communications, contact the CAP and have them report on what they can see"

"Aye, Sir" McCall said. "CAP leader, _Dauntless_. Report to Actual what you can see"

"_CAP Leader to Actual. I have the vessel in my sights now. She appears to be an old Kobol class Warstar, Sir – converted to civilian use. Getting locked on. _Dauntless_, request permission to go weapons hot_"

"Have them pull back to just outside their range" Henderson ordered. "Patch me through to the ship" he picked up a handset and held the microphone part to his mouth. "Attention, unknown vessel. This is the Colonial Battlestar _Dauntless_. Identify yourself at once or we will fire upon you"

"_Go to hell_" a voice replied.

"This is Commander Henderson speaking. You _will_ come to a complete halt, identify yourselves and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in my assumption your intentions are hostile and I will act accordingly"

"_Are you really_ Dauntless?"

"We are"

"_Oh, thank the gods…_" the voice said. There was some off wireless muttering before the voice returned. "_Commander, you have my apologies for locking on your fighters. We have been harassed by pirates and bandits from here to Hades and back…_"

"What is the name of you ship, Sir?" Henderson asked.

"Serenity"

"After the ship in Firefly?" asked the Commander.

"_One and the same, Commander. Is there anything that I can do for you?_"

"We're hunting for pirates and terrorists in this sector. I would like to come aboard and ask you a few questions. Please come to a complete stop and power your weapons down"

"_Aye, Commander. Three bags full, Sir_"

"The other ship has powered down her weapons and is slowing down" Golden said, looking at the DRADIS and scanner readouts.

"Stand down to Condition 2 until we are sure they are whole they really are" Henderson said. "Run the name through the Merchant Fleet Registry and try to get a match. Rosie, alert the Hanger Deck. Have them prep a shuttle and crew for launch. Have the Alert vipers stand down except for two to escort me in"

"You are going over there?" Golden asked with some alarm.

"Something are better said off the record, Colonel" Henderson said.

#

"Sorry for locking weapons on you, but we've had some trouble with pirates using old Battlestars" a tall man stepped forward as Henderson stepped out of the Raptor. "I'm Captain Sanchez – Ilich Ramirez Sanchez"

"Henderson, _Dauntless_. Permission to come aboard, Sir?"

"Granted, Commander" Sanchez said, extending his hand which Henderson took. "Welcome aboard the _Serenity_. I wish we could have done with your arrival a couple of hours ago" he led the way to what appeared to be an office.

"You were in battle?" Henderson asked.

"More like a victorious defeat, Commander" Sanchez said. "We're carrying a consignment of scrap from the bases near the Armistice Line. Drink?" he gestured at the decanters on a sideboard.

"I'm on duty, Captain" Henderson held up a hand.

"You sure? This is the good stuff – takes twenty years to mature"

"Regulations prohibit me from drinking on duty" Henderson shrugged.

"On your ship?" and the Commander nodded. "But we are not on _Dauntless_, are we?"

"Well…" Henderson said. "Seeing as you put it that way…" he took a small glass of Nector. "To the _Columbia_" he raised his glass.

"May she, and my comrades, rest in peace and life eternal" Sanchez replied, raising his glass also.

"You were military?"

"I was on _Columbia_ when the Cylons took her out" said Sanchez. "I was with a group of pilots that had been forced to return due to damage to our birds. When the ship spilt in two, we shoved as many people into suits as possible, stuck them to the hulls of Vipers and Raptors and got the hell out of there. Managed to get to _Galactica_ just as the Cylons retreated and agreed to terms" Sanchez said.

"Terrible battle that" Henderson replied. "What is your cargo?" he asked.

"Nothing of any value" Sanchez shrugged. "Mostly scrap metal from the bases we cut up. We also got a load of surplus ammo that we were to take back to Colonial Fleet headquarters. They came out of nowhere, Commander, and we assumed there had been a slight change of plans. It wasn't until we got closer that they opened fire on us. They vented three compartments to space before we could reply"

"What happened?"

"_Serenity_ still has her weapon systems intact, Commander. We armed them, warned them off and fired at their engineering spaces. We hit the larges ship in the FTL compartments and they simply turned tail and ran" Sanchez shrugged. "Given the number of them, we'd have given them anything they wanted" he added.

"How many ships?" Henderson asked.

"Four, Commander. Two Warstars, a Gunstar and an older Battlestar"

"Did they give out any names?"

"Not a peep. The ship lost most of her communications intercept systems when she was decommissioned, but we had enough to pick up some faint traffic between the Gunstar and the Battlestar – that's the one we hit"

"What did you pick up?" Henderson asked.

"Just a question on damage sustained. The Gunstar referred to the Battlestar as the _Greene_"

"That was supposed to have been cut up years ago" Henderson said.

"Looks like it wasn't" Sanchez said. "Somebody stole it for pirate operations. Anyway, we recorded everything onto computer disc for you to go over"

"Anything we can do to help?" Henderson pocketed the disc inside his uniform jacket.

"Short of reviving four of my crew? I apologise, Commander… I have known those four for over ten years. One of them was going to retire at the end of this trip – going to offer him the honour of commanding the ship into his home port for the final time… Left a wife and family behind – as they all did"

"I've put this down in my log as responding to a ship in distress" Henderson put the glass on the desk in front of him. "I presume you are FTL capable?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to use it for now. We have been experiencing some trouble with our main power systems, and they short out the grid every time we jump. I have sixteen crew members in critical condition, so you can understand when I say that I don't want to risk cutting off power to sickbay" Sanchez sighed at the thought of losing people for want of greed.

"We have state of the art facilities aboard _Dauntless_" Henderson said. "We can transfer your injured to my ship and see what we can do whilst I have an engineering team go over your power grid"

"I would appreciate that, Commander" Sanchez said. "Come with me… I have something to repay you with"

"The Fleet takes no money" Henderson told him.

"Hell, I know that, Commander. I was meaning some cargo you could find a better use for"

"Oh…" Henderson got the message in the clear.

#

_At 1745 hours, ship time, _Dauntless_ responded to an emergency call from the cargo ship_ Serenity_ after it had come under attack from suspected pirates and terrorists. _Serenity_ reported losing hull integrity in three critical compartments, the loss of four crew and had sixteen in critical condition. We heaved to alongside and rendered assistance to the vessel in accordance with the rules of the sea. The injured crew from _Serenity_ were brought aboard for extensive treatment and examinations. I sent over an engineering team to aid in repairs to the vessel. Took aboard computer records regarding the attack including intercepted communications traffic between attacking ships. Injured crew responded well to treatment. Serenity got under way at 0215 with repairs lasting until she makes dock_

Henderson signed the log and put it away just as the senior officers came into the wardroom.

"You wanted to see us, Commander" Golden said.

"Take a seat" Henderson said, leaving orders with a Marine guard to not disturb them. I came back with a number of data files collected by the _Serenity_ when she was under attack. She was set upon by well trained persons in heavily armed former Colonial vessels"

"Do we have any idea of the names?" asked Odell.

"We have at least one of them for certain" Henderson said. "XO?"

"Analysis of intercepted comm traffic by the _Serenity_ gave us the name of the Battlestar that seemed to be the Command and Control ship for the attack" Golden flicked a button on the small panel and showed an early type of Battlestar. "This is the _Greene_ – a _Colonial_ class of Battlestar introduced shortly after the start of the Cylon war. After the war was over, the remaining ships were mothballed, expended as targets or sent for scrapping. The _Greene_ never arrived at the scrapyards and was supposedly taken by pirates or terrorists. Despite an extensive search by the fleet, we never found a single trace of the ship – leading to the thought she was stolen for the scrap value" Golden flicked another switch to show a new picture.

"It can't be…" said Captain Hunt, Operations Chief aboard _Dauntless_.

"This image was taken less then twelve hours ago" Golden said. "Careful research of the data indicates that this is the _Greene_, and that somebody has brought her up to operational status"

"How did the civvies survive?" asked Odell.

"Seems that whoever was aboard the ship decided that to destroy the ship was too much of a risk and let them go. The _Serenity_ hit their FTL drive and knocked it out, leading to the group heading away at high sublight" Golden said.

"What about the other ships?" asked Richardson.

"From what little data was picked up, we can determine that they appear to be operating at normal specs for their classes" Henderson said. "However, despite the _Serenity_'s limited data collection facilities, they picked up this abnormal signature…" and the picture changed yet again to show a graph indicating DRADIS and scanner readings. A thick red line dominated the top part. "_Greene_ was carrying nukes" and there was an audible intake of breath.

"Do we know how many?" asked Odell.

"We don't know" Golden said. "The signature seems to show it had at least two armed weapons aboard – maybe more. Our nuclear arms are strictly guarded by an entire squadron of Warstars on the moon Titan. We have never had any reports of any ordinance going missing"

"That" Henderson said, "Is not the important thing. What _is_ the important fact is the type. If the data is to be believed, somebody has handed over at least two Mark IX tactical nukes to terrorists. They are, as you know, our most powerful nuclear weapons – designed for stealth use. Gods alone know how mu-"

_Brurrr Brurrr_

"Wardroom" Henderson said, picking up his handset. "I thought I left orders not to be distur… Oh sweet Lords of Kobol. You did right the right thing, Ensign. Sound off Action Stations" and Henderson replaced the handset as the alarms started to go off throughout the ship.

"What is it, Commander?" Golden asked, noting the horrified look on his face.

"Sir?" Richardson looked at the Commander. "George!" and the use of his first name brought Henderson out of the shock.

"What happened?" asked Golden.

"They've nuked Geminon" and the Chief Engineer and the CAG were out the door in an instant.

"Who?"

"Zarek"

# # # # #

"Attention all hands, this is the Commander. Moments ago, this ship received word that a nuclear attack on Gemimon has taken place. It was set off without any warning by the SRA. I have not yet been officially informed of the number of deaths, but it is safe to assume the cost is high. I want all crew members hailing from the planet, or who have family and friends living there, to report to the Wardroom in half an hour to leave your names with the XO. Ladies and Gentlemen of the _Dauntless_, nobody would fault us for returning to base after this attack on our homes – I certainly wouldn't. But we will show that we will not be distracted by the events back home and that we will continue to do our mission. So say we all…"

# # # # #

"Enter" Henderson said. The hatch to his quarters opened to admit someone before closing again. "What can I do for you, Ensign…"

"Waters, Sir" the young woman said.

"Its been a long day for me, Ensign. What can I do for you?" Henderson asked, picking up a Viper Readiness report.

"Sir, one of my activities off duty is looking at pictures and seeing what others don't see" Waters put a file down in front of Henderson on his coffee table.

"Ensign, I am not in the mood to talk about your hobbies" the Commander sighed.

"No, Sir. I mean, Yes, Sir" Waters opened the file to reveal the same picture of the _Greene_ shown hours before to the senior staff. "I know I'm not supposed to have looked at that, but the file was open when I found it. I took a glance and thought there was something odd about it"

"It is an old Battlestar that should have been decommissioned, Ensign" Henderson was beginning to get annoyed by the interruption.

"I heard the scuttlebutt, Commander" Waters sounded a little hurt. "But that wasn't it. I made a copy of the picture and went to the ship's photographic section after I went off duty. I started by looking for newer types of weapons, but I only found Anti Aircraft stuff that was of interest"

"Ensign…" Henderson warned.

"That is when I noticed the hull"

"What about it?" Henderson was about to order extra duties for bothering him with something trivial.

"It's the same as ours"

"What are you on about?"

"The hull plating and armour is the same as we have on _Dauntless_" Waters said. "I blew up the best sections as large as I could to be certain" Waters removed two expanded images of the _Greene_'s hull. "That plating was designed for the _Dauntless_ class of Battlestars. No other ship in the fleet has anything like this at all. You can see where they have cut it so it fits over the original hull form" Waters pointed to a few places on the second photo. I spent six months in the shipyard where they built the _Dauntless_, Sir, and I would know what the hull and armour looks like. We had a break in seven months before the ship first left the slips, and the hull plating was stolen, along with a lot of ammunition and parts. We had to delay construction of the next ship in the line to get you out on time"

"Are you certain of this, Ensign?" Henderson asked.

"As certain as anything, Commander" Waters replied. Henderson picked up the handset and dialled the CIC.

#

"… and, from what I can see for myself, I tend to believe her" Golden said.

"As do I" Henderson said. "It is clear that there is a group of people working in the Colonial Fleet to supply the terrorists with some of our latest stuff"

"Sir, if you add the new hull and armour to the original hull form, you'd need to put every last firecracker onto that ship just to knock her out" Waters said. "That or a nuke of our own" she added.

"Mmm…" Henderson looked at the pictures again. "We shall forget the rest of the search and see if the _Greene_ and her friends are at our target locations. If we are lucky, we might catch them unawares. Rosie, I want to see the paperwork making Waters a full Looey before the start of her next watch. Waters, you are to be commended for what you have done – you may have helped us find out what is really going on. Even though you handled classified material, we'll skip the court martial this time. I order you to never discuss this with your bunk mates. If you have bunk buddies and speak of this in the afterglow of sex, you'll find yourself painting the hull without a suit" Waters paled before seeing Henderson was joking.

"I wont say a word about something I do not know"

"Thata girl, Waters. Go to the Quartermaster and indent for some new insignia, Lieutenant"

"What do I tell people when they ask how I got my promotion to full Lieutenancy?"

"Tell them you made a toasted cheese sandwich or something"

"Yes, Sir" Waters saluted.

"Dismiss" and the newly promoted officer left with a huge grin on her face. Henderson waited for several moments before looking at his Executive Officer – observing the same thoughts he had.

"You thinking the same as I am?" Golden asked.

"Kronus"


	3. Battles and Betrayals

**Battles and Betrayals**

"_Sir. Message was sent off"_

"_Good" said Henderson. "Did you receive a reply?"_

"_Yes. Standing by_"

"_Very well. Don't speak of this to anybody at all"_

# # # # #

"_Attention on the _Dauntless_. Pass the word for Commander Henderson to contact CIC_" Golden's voice filtered through the ship.

"Henderson" the Commander picked up the nearest phone in Engineering – being there on an inspection.

"_DRADIS reports multiple contacts just where we expected them to be_"

"Understood. Close up the forward defences, and prepare to launch ready Vipers"

"_Aye_"

"I'll be there in little while. Henderson out" he replaced the handset and made a run for CIC. It was three weeks after their encounter with the _Serenity_, and the _Dauntless_ had passaged through some tricky parts of space based on the last known heading of the group that had attacked it.

"COMMANDER ON DECK!" a petty officer said.

"As you were. Sit Rep"

"DRADIS contacts fit profile of the ships under the control of the SRA" Golden said. "We will have to get closer to be sure, but I can't think of anything else this far out" she shrugged.

"Any transmissions we can listen to?" Henderson looked at the duty communications officer.

"Faint comm traffic, Sir. Just routine yard chatter"

"Damned machine!" the CIC looked as an officer kicked the scanner readout console.

"At ease, Lieutenant" Golden barked.

"Sorry, Colonel. I keep getting an echo on scanners, but DRADIS is showing nothing at all on the scopes. I have rebooted three times, and I still get the same damned contact"

"It will be a glitch in the system, Mister" Henderson said. "We'll strip it down the moment we have the chance"

"Yes, Sir" the officer said, looking at his screens with hatred for the display. "Sorry, Comm… HELM - HARD TO STARBOARD" the junior officer's shout caused the helm to put the ship into a tight right turn.

"What the frack are you thinking of, Mister?" Golden said.

"DRADIS CONTACTS!" the DRADIS officer shouted. "Ships closing in from all direction. Vipers, Raptors, Warstars… There is everything out there, Sir"

"ACTION STATIONS ACTION STATIONS! SET CONDITION ONE THROUGHOUT THE SHIP – THIS IS NOT A DRILL LAUNCH ALL VIPERS. MAN BATTLESTATIONS" Henderson said. The faint shaking of the deck plates told him the defences had started up to knock out the many missiles now coming towards them.

"Gun crews report all stations manned and ready" the weapons officer said.

"Concentrate main batteries on the Warstars and other capital ships. Leave the smaller ships to the Anti-Aircraft and secondary batteries" Henderson ordered.

"Vipers away" Golden said.

"Order them to fire to disable _only_. If that isn't possible, then they are authorised to take out any hostile targets – but only otherwise…" Henderson said. DRADIS, any readings on the _Greene_?"

"Nothing. If she's here, she's rigged for silent running"

"If she has gone and done a runner…" Golden said quietly.

The battle raged on for over an hour, and both sides took heavy losses and damage to manpower and equipment. The _Dauntless_ had suffered hull breaches in sever sections, but none of them were key to the ship's operation. In return, the vessel and her fighters had attacked and destroyed a dozen Warstars, three frigates and dozens of Vipers. A lot of other Vipers drifted around the combat zone disabled and unable to do anything for themselves. As Henderson held onto the map table after an impact shook the entire Battlestar, he realised why everything seemed to be thrown at him.

"Navigation – plot an FTL jump to the space station directly ahead"

"Sir?"

"Commander?"

"You heard me – plot it now" Henderson looked to Golden. "I have a theory they are stopping us from getting the _Greene_. If that ship escapes from us, we might as well just go home"

"But what about our Vipers?" Golden frowned.

"Launch all Raptors with chain cannon and full missile load outs – they'll act as gunships" he replied. It took a few minutes, but all Raptors were launched and the _Dauntless_ readied itself for an FTL jump.

# # # # #

"_Where the hell did our Battlestar go_?" one of the pilots asked.

"_There was no warning_" said another.

"Cut the chatter. Viper squadrons 1, 2 and 3 form line CAG and prepare for a burst run. Remaining Vipers and Raptors standby to fire all weapons at the Warstars – they're going down" Odell said, swinging into a new position. "They will come back for us"

"_Bullshit_"

"Who said that?"

"_Big Top, negative bullshit on DRADIS_"

"_Death Star, negative on the bullshit_"

"_CAG, Raptor 378. We're not picking up bullshit at this time_" and Odell couldn't help but smile. A small part of him regretted what he was about to do as he opened a new communications channel…

# # # # #

"Jump complete" said the navigation officer.

"DRADIS contacts bearing 123 carom 96 and 164 carom 22. Numerous weapon targeting systems locking on"

"Is the _Greene_ here?"

"Checking… Checking… Commander! Battlestar sized contact at edge of reduced DRADIS range"

"Reduced?" Henderson looked round to where the science officer was.

"Partial jamming of DRADIS by enemy forces, Sir. Nothing I can do about it"

"Very well. Helm, take us directly to the contact. All guns are cleared to fire on any hostile target without seeking permission" Henderson said.

"Standby missile batteries 1 through 20" Golden said.

"Load Devastator cannons" Henderson ordered. "Standby to fire on the _Greene_"

"Sir, I'm picking up a wireless transmission" the communications officer said.

"Put it on speakers"

"Its some kind of code, Sir. It'll take a few moments to break it"

"Well get on it with" Henderson said. The woman worked hard and frowned when she had completed the task.

"Sir, the sender appears to be using the newest communication packets built into our Vipers"

"Looks like someone went on a shopping trip" somebody muttered.

"Entering enemy weapon range"

"All hands, brace for uncovered attacked" Golden repeated it three times before the ship shook slightly from the impact. "Hell of a shakedown cruise" the Colonel muttered.

"Science – what is the latest information on that contact?" Henderson asked, looking at the fuzzy DRADIS screen.

"We're sure it is a Battlestar"

"Oh, that makes everything better"

"You think you can do better, you come work the DRADIS and _I'll_ run the fucking Battlestar"

"Marines, escort the science officer to the Brig. Ensign, take the Captain's position"

"Yes, Sir"

"Aye, Aye, Sir. Contact bearing 117 carom 00 appears to be the _Greene_ scanners indicate she is beginning a power up sequence – estimate six minutes until she has sufficient engine power to leave dock"

"Your birthday, Colonel"

"Thanks. Missiles and Guns, on my mark fire all that bear on the _Greene_'s engineering spaces. One salvo fire from all points that come to bear.

"Standing by on all points" weapons confirmed.

"Communications, hail the _Greene_ and everything else near us. I want to talk to them"

"Suppose they don't want to listen" the communications officer said.

"They will when they pick this up" Henderson said. "As senior officer present in theatre, I am authorising the use of nuclear weapons. Missile officer, spin the war heads on missiles 1 and 2 and dial them to maximum yield"

"Commander?" Golden blinked in surprise.

"I'm not going to use them, but I can't help but think how pissed off they will be if they aren't alive to be liberating something" Henderson said.

"Good point"

"They're… They are responding. On handset…" the communications officer pointed to the one nearest Henderson.

"This is the Colonial Battlestar _Dauntless_, Commander Henderson speaking

"_I suggest that you leave this place now. Otherwise, you will end up just like your pathetic air wing_"

"What?"

"_You don't know?_" the voice of Tom Zarek was mocking. "_Your CAG is working for us – one hundred percent_"

"Zarek, you are in violation of so many laws, they are using a small moon just to store the charges. Surrender all of your forces at once, or I will deploy the first of my nuclear missiles"

"_You wouldn't dare do that_"

"Try me. Missiles, lock on to the end point of this transmission and prepare to fire in three minutes… MARK"

"_You do this, and you would be as much a criminal as we are. I know all about your regulations_"

"Maybe you are right, Zarek" Henderson said as several missile shot out from _Dauntless _and impacted the _Greene_'s engineering section. "But there is something that you _don't_ know about"

"_Oh? And what is that_" Zarek mocked Henderson as he continued pounding the lone Battlestar.

"This" Henderson replied. "_Dauntless_ to Cylon Commander – _Destiny_" and there was a gasp as Henderson seemingly communicated to the Cylons.

"_By your command_" a metallic voice replied. All at once, Cylon Baseships, Basestars, Raiders and other vessels lit up the DRADIS screens – surrounding the entire area of the space borne base.

"_Frack me_" Zarek said.

"_BY YOUR COMMAND_" Henderson and the Cylon replied, and both sides opened fire and overwhelmed the SRA and its ships.

"DRADIS contacts. Three Warstars entering extreme edge of DRADIS range. They will be here in four hours and fifteen minutes"

"_Dauntless_ to Cylon commander. Thank you for your help, but more of our ships are heading this way. I think it best if you vanished before they get here"

"_Acknowledged, Commander_" and the Cylons regrouped and jumped away.

"Away the boarding parties" Golden said. "Priority is to find Tom Zarek and bring him aboard at once"

"Commander, the Warstars do not appear to be in any kind of registry" the DRADIS officer reported. "I have even checked the lists of ships retired from service and sold on, but I get nothing whatsoever"

"Names, Lieutenant"

"_Whisperer_, _Silent Killer_ and _Shadow_"

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Golden asked.

"I'm afraid so" Henderson looked at the faint traces on the DRADIS screen above him. "Move us closer to the station before we launch the shuttles. We need every moment we can get" and the _Dauntless_ edged closer to the base – some parts of which were still firing. The ship replied by pounding them with missiles and heavy weapons fired from the Devastator cannons mounted in the nose of the Battlestar. The Marines boarded the station, several smaller capital vessels and the ship yard – assuming control of the _Greene_. Zarek was found, cuffed and hurried aboard the _Dauntless_ before the three contacts came too close for comfort.

# # # # #

"We are being hailed" said the Communications officer. "On channel 1, Sir"

"_This is Commander Excalibur of the _Shadow"

"_Dauntless_, Henderson. I was under the impression we were to work alone"

"_Plans have changed, Commander. Have you found Zarek_?"

"No" Henderson lied. "We breached a number of compartments on the different targets. We suspect he was either blown out into space, incinerated or torn to pieces by debris"

"_What about the others in the SRA?_"

"We're taking on prisoners as we speak" Henderson replied.

"_Stop doing so. Admiral Kronos is ordering you to leave this place now_"

"I still have to recover my air wing, Commander" Henderson said. "Before he died, Zarek said they had been ambushed and betrayed by our CAG"

"_That would explain the debris we found_"

"How many survivors?"

"_None – all lives lost. You are further ordered to ignore all that has happened between us_"

"Excuse me?" Henderson frowned at Golden – she was as confused as he was.

"_Turn your ship around and leave. This is an Alpha Red priority mission. Clearance verification 9-2-1-8-BLACK. By authority of the central command you are ordered to turn your ship around, erase all records of this encounter from your logs and speak of it to no one. Is that clear?_"

"I'm not leaving without my shuttles. It will take ten minutes to recover them" Henderson said.

"_Very well_. _Start now_" and the line went dead.

"Rosie, get onto the shuttles and tell the marines to cram as many people on as possible – disregard safety factors. We'll come closer to them instead"

"Commander?"

"Those ships are not coming here to take over the custody of the prisoners. I find it very odd they show up without any knowledge. Kronus could easily have let us know about the extra vessels and yet he didn't do so. Colonel, once all shuttles are aboard, I'd like the _Dauntless_ to come out of here slowly and carefully. Take us as close as you dare past the Warstars, and get as many pictures as possible"

"Aye, Aye, Sir" Golden knew when to be all business.

"Navigational officer!" Henderson said shouted.

"Yes, Sir"

"Come to my cabin with the manuals for FTL travel. Also, bring me print outs of our location and the Kimba sector"

"Print outs… I mean, Aye, Sir"

"Communications, I want you to monitor everything that is going on between those three Warstars. Suck in every signal those bastards make. Rosie, get those pictures to Waters as soon as you can. Put her in the Wardroom with a pair of Marines you trust on the doors"

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead"

"Commander, don't you think you are being a little bit paranoid?"

"How so?"

"You think Kronus would kill Zarek? Those ships might be so secret they _can't_ be on any registry"

"Rosie, look at their formation. They are set up to launch a massive assault the moment we leave here. You have your orders, carry on" Henderson said

"Aye, Sir" Golden saluted him.

# # # # #

"Commander on deck!"

"Clear the deck" Henderson said. "I want everyone out of here except for the XO. Wait outside and sit on the deck" and they all left with confusion over their faces. "Shut the hatch, Rosie" and Golden did so.

"What's going on, Sir?" she asked.

"We're not going back home just yet. I've plotted a jump point for the Kimba nebula. Once there, we're going to move inside and hide until we get to the bottom of this"

"I don't follow"

"I didn't think those ship's had been seen before – but I know differently now. Remember about three years ago? The appropriations submission?"

"I heard something about it, but I was out on deep space patrol at the time" Golden said.

"CI asked for money to re-commission a couple of Warstars for use in undercover missions and such like"

"And you think those are the same ones?"

"Rosie, I might not have passed my maths exam with flying colours, but I can add things up" Henderson looked up at the DRADIS screen that showed the faint contacts moving towards the base. "Something is going on here, and I just don't like it at all. I think Kronus is behind some of this"

"You are joking!"

"No, I am not" the Commander said. "Warn Engineering to bring the FTL engines into standby mode. We're making an FTL j- HOLY SHIT!" Henderson blurted out as he saw the DRADIS and scanner readouts. The three Warstars had destroyed the SRA base and everyone still alive inside the station and docks. "Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer. Take the lives of those murdered this day into your hands. Their crimes deserve no forgiveness, but they did not deserve a death like this. I appeal for the damnation of those that struck them down without mercy. So say we all"

"Amen" Golden said.

"Not a follower of the Gods?"

"I follow one God, Commander"

"Oh? Well… nobody's perfect. Check that we recorded all of that, then get Engineering to ready the jump drives. We're getting out of here"

_Beep Beep_

"We're being hailed" Rosie said, moving to the communications station. "_Shadow_"

"Ignore them" Henderson replied, entering figures into the jump computers. "Attention all hands, this is the Commander. Prepare for immediate FTL jump. Gun crews, remain at Condition 2. CSAR Raptors, prep for launch. Emergency medical teams report to the hanger deck. Doctor McCoy to the CIC on the double after Jump. Jump in five, four, three, two, one - NOW!" and the _Dauntless_ twisted away.

# # # # #

"I have always wanted to meet you, Mr Zarek" Henderson said, walking into the wardroom. Marines guarded every hatchway both inside and out in case of an escape attempt.

"I find that hard to believe, Commander. Forgive my rudeness, but I can not shake your hand" Zarek mocked him.

"You may find this hard to believe, Zarek, but I actually understand what you talk about. I can not, in good faith, condone what you have done, but I sympathise with your movement" Henderson said. "I have even read a copy of your book" he added.

"Isn't that interesting?"

"My orders were to kill you on sight. Those are orders I intend to disregard. It is my belief that you have been set up for some of the crimes you have committed"

"Really?" Zarek looked over to where Henderson was seated. "I'll make you a deal, Commander. I tell you everything I know about our supply points and you let me go free"

"I don't think so. You must stand trial for what you and your group have done, but I will speak on your behalf so long as you give me information" Henderson said.

"Freedom to be imprisoned? Rather an interesting concept, don't you think?"

"Fine – be that way. Marines! Take Mr Zarek back to the brig"

"WAIT!" Zarek said. "Do you really mean what you said? That you would speak on my behalf at my trial?"

"You have my word as an officer in the Colonial Fleet"

"What do you want to know?"

# # # # #

**CSAR Flight**

**Raptor 212**

"Jump complete"

"Reading massive amounts of debris" the ECO said. "Scanning for transponder codes and comm channels…"

"Moving us closer to the debris field" the pilot said.

"Hey!" the ECO cried out. "I'm picking up a large contact bearing 180 carom 23"

"Can you identify?"

"Attempting… It is a Warstar…_ Kobol_ class... I'm now reading shuttles amongst the debris"

"What the hell is one of those doing out here?" the pilot turned to head in that direction.

"Getting civilian codes and beacon"

"Scavengers!" the pilot hissed. "Arming weapons. Hail them"

"Channel open"

"This is Raptor 212 to the civilian vessel directly ahead. By authority of the Colonial Fleet, you are hereby ordered to remain where you are and to cease shuttle operations at once. Acknowledge!"

"Getting the ship's name…"

"_Hold your horses, Raptor_" a voice said, "_We have an invite to this party_"

"Repeat your last"

"_Serenity_?" the ECO frowned.

"_Raptor, we have a lot of extra friends now. Would you care to join us in a reunion_?"

"This can't be right…" the ECO tapped her controls again. "I'm reading Vipers and Raptors being towed into the civilian"

"_Perhaps_…" the voice said, "_You might take back the news to the _Dauntless_?_"

"Bring a pilot to the channel, _Serenity_"

"_Ensign Michaels reporting_"

"Pilot, are you under duress?"

"_No, Ma'am_"

"Send confirmation code"

"_Delta Delta Sierra Bravo Zulu Delta Tango_"

"Code is authentic" the ECO said.

"_Serenity_ – report your status"

"_I'm stuffed up with birds like I was costive bound, Raptor_"

"Copy that, Sir" the pilot said. "We're coming in for a landing"

#

"DRADIS contacts!" the CIC all turned to see two contacts pop into the display.

"Getting wireless message" the communications officer said. "Raptor 212… Commander, they report they are escorting the freighter _Serenity_ and her high value cargo"

"And what is that?"

"Our… Sir, they report that they have our Air Wing aboard"

"Well…" Henderson said dryly, "What are the chances of that…?" and he left the CIC smiling.


	4. The Thin Blue Line

**The Thin Blue Line**

Six hours later, the senior officers and Captain Sanchez sat in the _Dauntless_'s wardroom to go over what had been said. The civilian ship's Captain had been at Zarek's questioning as an impartial witness and observer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Zarek's statement confirms what we have been able to find out from intercepted traffic reports" Henderson dimmed the lights and switched on the display screen. The 12 colonies were displayed, though the image was one of the military areas rather than the standard map normally seen in a briefing. "As a test of our communication systems, I ordered that are messages, even those not directed at us, be logged for future system reference. Before we left dock, Kronus approved the transfer and promotion of a number of officers – usually in the command areas" the map started to bleed as parts of Colonial space turned red. "It is my belief that Kronus has placed officers loyal to him in charge of vital sectors and ships"

"For what?"

"Mutiny, insurrection and a military coup" Henderson said icily. The officers in the room flinched or shuddered at the very thought – Sanchez simply gawped like a goldfish.

"What can we do?" asked Golden. "If we return to dock, we could be all 'taken care of'. Even if we did decide to report this – who would it be to?" she added.

"We will talk directly to the President himself" Henderson said. "We will plot a direct course and jump to Caprica. Once there, we will launch the entire Viper compliment as escort to the Marines in Raptors"

"That will not work, Commander" Sanchez said. "Before we left, we heard talk of a test involving that new FTL suppression system around the orbit of Caprica. All large ships will be unable to make the orbit" and Henderson swore fluently.

"Great"

"Besides" Sanchez said, "President Imlay is on Io to open a new mining complex"

"What perfect timing" said Waters.

"Do you know what time this is supposed to happen?" Henderson asked Sanchez.

"Twenty Two hundred, Colonial Standard"

"Our Raptors will never make it there in time" Golden shook her head. "Including spin up and cool down for each jump, it is going to take at _least_ forty jumps for them to get back. And our Viper don't even have any kind of jump drive installed in them…"

"Commander" Sanchez's tone was one of formalness, "I don't like the sound of this any more then you all do. Me? I'm a loyal colonial citizen. I place my ship under your command. I can take your Raptors or your Vipers in my cargo bays and launch berths – not both"

"Thank you" Henderson was grateful for the offer of an extra ship. "We better flesh out a plan here…"

# # # # #

"Attention all hands, this is the Commander speaking. As some of you may know, our comrades have been betrayed and killed by elements of our own forces. I have been informed that this was part of an attempt to overthrow the lawful government of the Colonies, to declare martial law and to go to war against the Cylons. Therefore, this Battlestar will do everything in its power to prevent this from happening. I want all departments and divisions to get their arses into gear RFN. Until this is over, Gun and Missile crews will go to Condition 2. Department and Section heads report to the officers' mess. Air Wing to report to the crew briefing room. Master at Arms DeSalle, please report to the Commander's cabin with a selection of side arms and armour – that is all"

"Sir, I would really like to know what you are planning on doing" Golden said as they both left CIC a moment later.

"The only way we're going to get through to Imlay and make him believe is if one of us goes"

"Sir… if I may speak freely…"

"When has that ever stopped you?"

"You are more valuable to the operation from the CIC. I, on the other hand, am expendable"

"Not this time, Rosie" Henderson paused at the hatchway to his quarters. "I will have something for you to do after I leave, but I can not discuss it now. Come and see me after you have briefed the department and section heads. Dismiss" and that was that. Golden walked to her meeting with a sense of dread from what was about to take place.

#

"_WHAT_?" Golden exclaimed some time later. "You can not be serious" she spluttered.

"You will do as you are told, Colonel. You will have most of the Viper squadrons with you for this. Captain Sanchez has been able to get five on his ship by moving his shuttles over to the _Dauntless_. We will jump to Io and make our landing and attempt there to see the President. You, on the other hand, will jump, firstly, to Picon and land Marines to assume control of Fleet Headquarters. The moment the shuttles are clear of the _Dauntless_, your orders are to then jump to Scorpio shipyards and blockade the port. Do everything possible to avoid fire, but you will be authorised to return that fire if you deem it to be in the safety of the ship" Henderson strapped on the last of his armour. "Good luck, Colonel" he saluted the XO before leaving the quarters.

#

**Bridge of **_**Serenity**_

"We have come out of jump – all systems are clear" the pilot said.

"May I use your PA, Captain?" Henderson asked.

"Go ahead" Sanchez said.

"All _Dauntless_ crew – this is Commander Henderson. All Viper pilots are to man their craft. Standby to launch off on the given signal. Marines – board the Raptors. Raptor crews – standby for immediate FTL jumps. All craft – tune to channel one niner eight - echo encryption sequence. Guard frequency of seven seven zero zero. That is all" Henderson let out a long held breath and replaced the handset.

"I'll take the rest of your Marines and take the station and orbital facilities" Sanchez said.

"You set the marker buoys?" Henderson asked, adjusting his holster as he moved to the hatch.

"In about fifteen seconds, that cluster is going to start squawking like a Cylon Baseship with Raiders – should get some ships away"

"But not for long" Henderson said, putting one hand on the hatch. "Good luck, Captain. I have a feeling you are going to need it"

"So say we all…"

# # # # #

_**Dauntless**_

"Jump complete"

"DRADIS Contact. Colonial transponders. We are in position"

"This is the XO – ACTION STATIONS" and the ship swung into action – readying itself for fighting. "Launch Raptor force" Golden watched as, moments later, a number of Raptors headed for the surface of Scorpio – though two Raptors and a larger shuttle headed to the space station.

"Engineering reports FTL spun up for immediate combat jump" Waters said. "All vessels clear of _Dauntless_"

"JUMP!" and the Battlestar jumped to the orbit of Picon. It was the reverse of the plan, but the ship had detected fewer ships at Picon – so it was easier to do it that way. "Launch all remaining aircraft. Assault teams – you are cleared to go… Good Hunting" Golden replaced the handset and walked over to where Waters was sitting. "Send this transmission on all colonial military frequencies – in the clear"

"Aye, Colonel" Waters replied, took the offered disk and placed it into a reader slot, pressed some switches and started broadcasting.

#

It didn't take long for a response to arrive, and four Battlestars had jumped in to surround _Dauntless_. As if in reply, Golden had taken them closer to the shipyards – now the subject of a pitched battle for control.

"We are being hailed" Waters said. "Packet reads as coming from the _Intrepid_"

"Put them up" Golden said.

"Dauntless_ this is _Intrepid_ Actual. What the hell are you thinking of, Henderson?_"

"Battlestar _Intrepid_, this is Battlestar _Dauntless_, _Dauntless_ Two speaking" Golden was shaking - none of her training her included this at all. "The Commander is not here at the moment"

"_Where is he, Colonel?_" asked the gruff female voice.

"He… He went on leave, Commander. He gave me orders before going, and I intend to carry them out"

"_They are countermanded. What is the meaning of this signal?_"

"Exactly what it says, Commander" Golden replied. "We have evidence that Admiral Kronus is planning to overthrow the lawful government of the 12 Colonies. This vessel is engaged in support of orders to prevent this at all costs"

"_You are threatening your career and your freedom, Colonel_" the voice said. "_You are also threatening the lives of your crew_"

"Commander, we have transmitted all of our evidence. Do you really believe that we would do something this drastic if it were not completely necessary?" Golden said. She glanced up to see the range of the four ships getting shorter by the minute. "If I were you, I would not come any closer"

"_Oh? You would fire on another Battlestar?_"

"I will if it becomes necessary to defend and protect this ship"

"_You wouldn't dare_" the Commander said.

"Please be advised that I have launched my Air Wing and deployed them to stop anything leaving or entering the fleet shipyards. _Dauntless_ is at Condition One and has targeted each of your ships with its armaments. We will, however, not fire unless fired upon first. I say again, We will not fire unless fired upon first"

"_Intrepid_ and _Ajax_ are launching Vipers" Waters said softly.

"Commander, I hope those Vipers are launched as part of a salute"

"_Colonel, by virtue of superior rank, I am relieving you of command. Who is the next senior officer on your deck?_"

"Lieutenant Waters, Commander" Waters had herself patched into the circuit already.

"_You are ordered to place your XO under arrest, stand down, disarm your weapons systems and issue the recall orders_"

"I regret, Sir, that it is impossible for me to do so"

"_What?_ _Listen here, Lieutenant, do as I say or-_"

"Frack you" Golden hit the switch that cut the channel off.

"Colonel, picking up orders from Headquarters" the comm officer said.

"_Juno_ and _Gold_ are leaving the dockside and they are launching Vipers"

"They have orders to aid in the attack against us" the communications ensign added.

"Then broadcast Zarek's confession under drugs" Golden said. "Recall Squadron 3. Have them come between us and the new bogies. Raptor Squadron 2 to move closer to the _Dauntless_ – execute. Helm. All stop – rotate the ship to provide equal firepower on as many targets as possible"

"Aye"

"As ordered"

"Rotating the ship" and a voice came from the speakers.

"_My name is Tom Zarek. I am the leader of the SRA. I make this statement, under drugs, at my own request. Though I, and my group, have made attacks against the Colonies, we have not wanted to separate from them. For the last five years, we have been…_"

#

Kronus listened in on the channel and became furious as his plans were broadcasted to the entire military of the Colonies.

"Have all ships fire on the _Dauntless_. She's clearly been taken over by the SRA – blast her out of the skies"

"As ordered, Admiral"

#

"DRADIS contact!" Water said. "Edge of range – CBDR. No ID detected from them"

"Communications, hail the new arrivals – lets see how they stand" Golden said.

"Colonel, scanners now reading the ID codes. They are the same ships as those at the SRA base"

"Now is that not convenient…" Golden said. "Recall all aircraft to form a ring around the _Dauntless_. Helm, level the ship relative to the shipyard and move us away – ahead one half"

"Aye"

"Sending orders"

"We are receiving no reply to our messages"

"Lock all weapons on the incoming ships" Golden said. "Open a channel to the _Intrepid_"

"Channel open"

"Commander, check your books – they do not exist. They were supposed to be destroyed by way of scrapping. Don't you find it strange that they suddenly appear when we start talking about Kronus"

"_It is a little odd_" the _Intrepid_'s commander said.

"INCOMING FIRE!" Waters shouted. "Missiles launched from all three targets… one minute to impact" _Beep Beep Beep_. "New DRADIS contact… small tell tales… receiving ID signal… It's the Commander"

"Put him up on speakers"

"_This is Henderson aboard Raptor 180. We are carrying President Imlay after an attempt on his life by elements loyal to Admiral Kronus_"

"_Confirm that, Raptor_" said the _Intrepid_.

"Thirty seconds to impact" Waters said softly.

"_Give us cover and we'll prove it_"

"_How do we know this is not a trick to get us to let our guard down? We could be stood down when you fire upon us_" and Golden picked up the handset.

"This is the XO – all gun and missile crews – stand down. This is a direct order" Golden banked that they wouldn't fire on an unarmed target. The missile tracker showed that the thing had been blasted by a Viper.

"Warstars firing main armaments" Waters said. "They are assuming a hostile attack formation" and Golden would have said something if a shudder had not knocked her off her feet.

"What was that?"

"Suppression fire" Waters said, blood coming from where she had hit her head on the deck. "_Intrepid_ fired at point blank range. Her… Colonel!"

"Yes?"

"Her Vipers have turned around and are engaging the Warstars"

"LSO reports Raptor secured"

"Very well. Free range on any targets designated as hostile – FIRE!" and the guns, still on standby, unleashed their powerful potential. "Have the remaining Marines aboard report to CIC" Golden thought.

"_Juno_ and _Gold_ are moving to take position off each beam. _Intrepid, Phoenix_ and _Exeter_ are moving above and below"

"ATTENTION ON DECK. PRESIDENT OF THE COLONIES!"

"Carry on" Henderson said. "Sit Rep!"

"Engaged in combat with the same Warstars that appeared to us at the SRA base" Golden said. "We had faced some other Battlestars, but they have started to defend us and are helping to engage the enemy"

"Load main nose cannons and prepare to fire on my command. Target the CIC of the leading Warstar" Henderson said. "Viper Squadrons 1 and 2 to clear us a path. Engineering close all compartment and bulkhead doors"

"Coming into range of cannons" the weapons officer said.

"Fire" and two heavy metal slugs came out of the _Dauntless_'s nose and slammed into the hull of the opposing Warstar.

"Direct hit! They are venting atmosphere" Golden said. The two sides started trading fire for fire as they went toe to toe the old fashioned way. Hundreds of people lost their lives as they tossed everything but the kitchen sink at the Warstars.

"Damage report!"

"We have suffered hull breaches in all sections – multiple decks. Port for'ard ship to ship cannons are out of commission and other guns have taken significant damage. Starboard number three engine is destroyed – numbers two and four are crippled. We are still able to manoeuvre on remaining engines, Sir" Golden reported. "Sickbay reports four hundred officers and crew dead. We have lost forty of our Vipers and ten of our Raptors"

"DRADIS CONTACT!" Waters shouted over the din of battle. "Sir, its _Colonial Freedom_"

"What?" Henderson asked. "Are you sure?"

"Confirmed, Commander. She is assuming formation with the Warstars"

"Getting a broadcast message from the ship – Admiral Kronus's ID code and signal packet – patching us in" said the comm officer.

"_This is Admiral Kronus of the Colonial Fleet. President Imlay has been killed by a group of the military dedicated to upheaval and destruction as well as war with the Cylons. With the cabinet also murdered in their sleep, I am hereby assuming control of the Colonial government_" Henderson flicked the speakers off.

"That is the only ship that could finish us off" he said. "Colonel Golden, please recall all Raptors. The shuttles and them will take off the crew. Communications, please pass the order for all crew to muster at abandon ship stations" Henderson said.

"I have another Battlestar coming in… _IT'S GALACTICA_" Waters shouted.

"Disregard orders – helm take us in to point blank range. Order all Vipers and Raptors to clear us a path. Missile control… As senior officer present, I hereby authorise the use of nuclear weapons. Spin up the warheads in tubes five through eight to maximum yield"

"Aye sir"

"What are you planning on doing?" Golden asked.

"Playing chicken with a Battlestar" Henderson replied. "Disregarding all damage, lock every weapon but the nukes onto the Warstars and _Colonial Freedom_. Inform the other ships to do the same – we might not be able to take on all of them, but let kill as many as the bastards as possible. Once they have done their duty, have all remaining Raptors to land at once. I want all Marines to get in for a boarding operation. Colonel, you will go with them and take command of the _Colonial Freedom_"

"Aye, Commander" and Golden saluted and left the CIC.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Imlay.

"You know anything about firing guns?" Henderson asked.

"Spent two years as an orbital missile commander during the war"

"Good. Relieve the Lieutenant at missile control. Mister, I want you to take control of the starboard nose cannon. Split fire between the port gun stations"

"Aye"

"We will enter point blank range in thirty seconds" helm said.

"Maintain course and speed"

"I'll try, Commander, but I'm losing power to the drive"

"Reroute circuits"

"No use, Commander" said the engineering officer in CIC. "Damage is too great. We'll be sitting ducks in two minutes"

"Damn it" Henderson cursed. "Port thrusters two bursts. Prepare to fire into the area above the _Colonial Freedom_'s CIC. We're going to take them out"

"And what if that doesn't work, Commander?" asked Imlay.

"Then we shall ram our front into the Warstar, abandon ship and detonate the nukes and scuttling charges, Mr President" Henderson said. "Order the hanger deck to ready shuttles for launch. Have sickbay move the worst off to the shuttles now. CIC to Engineering"

"_Engineering_"

"Arm the scuttling charges, and set them with a four minute fuse. Activate them on my command"

"_Aye_"

"Incoming ordinance" called Imlay – a second before the spread of missiles hit hard.

"Damage report!" Henderson demanded.

"Main power is offline. Secondary systems are non responsive. We have lost all main and secondary drive systems. Weapons are disabled. Hull integrity is down to 34%. We can't take another hit like that again, Commander" Golden said.

"Then we have no choice" Henderson said. "Away all boats – all hands to abandon ship" and the abandon ship alarms sounded the remaining crew headed for the escape shuttles and Raptors.

"What about you?" asked Golden.

"I have not yet been relieved of this command, Colonel. Good luck"

"Sir!" the communications officer spoke quickly. "Sir, I am getting a message from _Colonial Freedom_"

"Put her on speakers" Henderson ordered.

"Dauntless_, this is _Colonial Freedom_ – Commander Medira. I have relieved Admiral Kronus of his command. I am ordering our Vipers and Raptors to return to the ship at once. Our guns have ceased fire. We surrender, completely and without any conditions or terms requested_"

"_Colonial Freedom, _this is _Dauntless_ Actual. You will disengage your engines at once and prepare to be boarded by my marines. Out. Colonel Golden, I want that ship secured in less then an hour. Strip her of all but a skeleton crew – we're going to drag her back to Caprica in disgrace" Golden saluted and hurried out of CIC. "Engineering, do what you can to bring us along side of the _Colonial Freedom_ and to a halt. List damage and estimated time to repairs. Communications, send to CinC Picon repeated to Admiralty. Have rejoined the fleet outside orbit of Picon. Some major damage, heavy casualties. Am able to manoeuvre by means of thrusters only. Am combat ineffective. Request aid and assistance at once. _Dauntless_, out' that is all. Repeat message until you get a reply. Flight Ops. Range a flight of two Vipers and a Raptor on the flick deck at once" Henderson looked around his battered CIC. "You want to say something, Ensign?" he asked the officer at Helm.

"I was just thinking that this must go down as the best ever shakedown cruise, Commander" the woman replied, causing the rest of the room to burst into laughter.

# # # # #

"Battlestar _Dauntless_ approaching Bay 12" Henderson reported. They had spent several hours working to get engines back online along with Helm and Navigation. They had limped back to Caprica with several Warstars and Faststars shepherding her as well as to stand by for protection.

"_Copy_ Dauntless_. You are cleared to dock at Bay 12. Prepare for docking cables and latches_"

"Copy, Control" Henderson said – words echoing around the nearly empty CIC. With all of the damage sustained in the fighting, the _Dauntless_ was running with only a dozen people aboard. Eight were in the Engine Room keeping the crippled reactors from blowing up, two more were in the Auxiliary control room in case the CIC failed whilst Henderson remained in the CIC with an Ensign to run things from there. "All hands, this is the Commander. Prepare for docking. Engineering, be ready to shut down reactors and standby to go to shore supply"

"_Aye, Sir_"

"Ensign, Starboard twenty – steer 340. Slow ahead both engines." Henderson felt the _Dauntless_ move slightly in adjustment. The mighty Battlestar swung into position as the Commander pressed a button on the Communications console three times – sounding the ship's horn in the traditional manner to signal arrival at a port. "Put your rudder amidships. Stop both engines" he added as he walked over to the Operations console and flicked the buttons to lock onto the latches.

"Aye, Sir" the young officer said. "Both engines stopped" and, as she spoke, the ship had a very minor tremor as the latches took hold and the _Dauntless_ rested in the protection of the Heavy Repair bay.

"You did well, Ensign" Henderson said.

"I have always wanted to try that, Sir" she replied with a slight smile.

"Really…? You can disembark whenever you want and go on some extended shore leave. Just be warned, though, that there will be a major inquiry into this. Dismiss" and the other officer saluted as if she was on a parade ground, turned smartly on her heel and marched to the hatch. He reached out for a handset and flicked it to the port channel. He noticed several consoles powering down as the ship transferred from its own power supply to that of the shipyard. "Port Control from _Dauntless_"

"_Go ahead, _Dauntless"

"Can you arrange for a shuttle to be made ready please? Priority One clearance"

"_All shuttles are in use, Commander_" came the reply.

"That was a direct order"

"_I'm sorry, Sir, but I am not under your command_"

"I don't care how you do it, but you will get me a shuttle. Otherwise, you will spend the next forty odd years as the Fleet attaché to the Cylon homeworld!" Henderson said – slamming the handset down.

#

Whilst the various courts martials were carried out, the _Dauntless_ was repaired, refitted and returned to full and active service. It would go on for over three decades in service – serving with distinction under a number of Commanding Officers. It didn't see another Cylon up close for that entire time, but, I am afraid to say, is a completely different story…

_Commander Sharpe_

_Commanding Officer_

_Battlestar _Dauntless

**A/N:**

**First, if any one is wondering why the name at the end, it is because the story was set in the future telling a past tale – or, to keep it simple, set after the events of Counter Attack but telling the tale of the Big D's first cruise.**

**Hope you enjoyed the fic and look forward to reviews**

**Pixel And Stephanie**


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